Nakayale Private Adacemy
After much anticipation and hard work, the construction of the Nakayale Private Academy in the Etunda area was completed and the school officially opened its doors, for the 60 students and numerous staff, on the 18th of January 2016. Nakayale Private Academy is offering classes in Grades 0, 1 and 2 for this year, and the planning provides for adding a new Grade 0 class every year as the most senior learners progress to higher grades.
Etunda is located in the Omusati Region, about 150 kilometres west of Oshakati and the private school is on a dune at Elcin’s Etunda Parish. The Nakayale Private Academy is primarily funded by the Dirk Mudge Trust. This undertaking follows a previous project where the Trust donated school facilities to the Uahekua Herungua Primary School at Otjorute and the Otjekwa Junior Primary School in the Omusati Region.
The private school boasts state of the art classrooms, dormitories, a school hall that is the centre of activity, and a kitchen area that serves balanced and nutritious food off a menu, to the staff and pupils.
The learners were selected by a process of standardised testing and physical evaluations. These students receive full scholarships, provision for school fees, accommodation, clothing, food and learning materials. The Trust invested heavily in making sure this school for the gifted children from disadvantaged communities, is well equipped to meet the ultimate outcomes, set out in its vision.
The next phase of the development is the establishment of a 13 hectare agricultural project, to supply the school with fresh produce and to generate an income for the school, to help fund its operations.
Under the watchful eyes of the headmaster and dedicated staff, the children are lovingly supported and guided towards functioning optimally and eventually becoming the leaders of there tomorrow.
Please follow this link to the Nakayale Private Adacemy Website for the lattes and updated info.
Nakayale Agricultural Project
Already during the conceptualizing and planning of the Nakayale Private Academy at Etunda in the Omusati Region of Namibia, a private primary school, where tuition and boarding is free for marginalized children of the western part of the region, a decision was taken by the Dirk Mudge Trust to be the masters of our own destiny as far as funding the operations of the school.
The school opened its doors in January 2016 to 60 learners from Grades 0 to 2, a principal, hostel manager, 4 teachers, 11 kitchen- and cleaning staff members, 1 gardener, 3 maintenance and 4 security people. The facilities include an 8 class room school, boys hostel, girls hostel, hall, kitchen, laundry room and admin block.
The initial plan to establish an agricultural project on the same land as the school proved to be not feasible due to the poor soil quality. In June 2016 we acquired 80ha of agricultural land on the Olushandja Dam. We established irrigation infrastructure and immediately started to cultivate the land, of which 50% is already under production. To date we have harvested sweet potatoes, maize, green beans and gem squash, with 45 000 cabbage plants, 20 000 tomato plants, butternuts and another crop of maize currently in the ground. Next to go in is watermelons and sweet potatoes. A third 6.5ha pivot will be developed and a 18ha plot will be brought into production at the start of the rainy season.
The agricultural project is registered as a department of the Nakayale Private Academy, an Article 21 company not for gain, and all proceeds of the project will go towards funding the school. We are confident that we will be able, through careful management and successful marketing of our produce, to build up enough reserves to add another primary school to the existing facility, resulting in a junior primary school for 120 learners as well as a senior primary school for another 120 learners.
Already in the planning phase is the establishment of a farmers co-operative for small scale farmers around the dam, to share new farming methods, new varieties and marketing opportunities.
Please follow this link to the Nakayale Private Adacemy Website for the lattes and updated info.